Abstract: A package for use in storing, vending and microwave cooking of food products. The package includes a double center wall which divides an interior food cavity into two food compartments. The center wall and the remaining interior surfaces of the container are coated with a microwave interactive layer thereby exposing an increased surface area of the food articles to the microwave interactive layers. Improved surface cooking, such as surface browning and crisping are achieved, as well as increased convenience in packaging and cooking.

Abstract: An improved container for use in microwave cooking includes an insert which maintains a microwave interactive material in contact with a food product during cooking. The isnert includes flaps or wing sections which bias a central panel towards the food, with the microwave interactive material associated with the central panel. To ease in handling prior to and during packaging, an adhesive restrains the bias flaps until the adhesive is at least partially melted during cooking. The insert may be arranged to prevent excessive bowing or curling of the central panel, and to improve venting or draining of fluids from the food product.

Abstract: A package for meat products and other oily foods and similar products marketed in stores and suitable for use to heat or cook the contents by microwave radiation comprising a absorbent insert having as basic elements a cooking surface of waxed paperboard or the like and an absorbent underlay. The cooking surface on which the food is laid is provided apertures so that fats and liquids released from the food during cooking may readily pass therethrough and be captured by the absorbent underlayer.

Abstract: An absorbent pad structure particularly suited for use in a vacuum package for a food product and the like is disclosed as well as its method of manufacture. The composition of the pad is such as to minimize leakage of liquids into the absorbent material during storage and to permit the flow of liquids freely for absorption during cooking of the packaged product. The pad is particularly suitable for use in bacon packages and other food packages containing oils or grease.

Abstract: An apparatus for surface heating of an object, such as a food object, in an oven by microwave energy which requires only a microwave interactive heater material and a support for it that is designed to obtain higher temperatures via a contact wall formed of stacked layers. In particular, in accordance with various embodiments, a primary panel defines a contact surface against which an object is disposed, and a secondary panel which is coextensive in area with at least an object heating portion of the primary panel is disposed adjacent to the primary panel at an opposite side thereof from the contact surface. Each of the primary panel and secondary panel is formed of a layer of microwave interactive heater material that is applied to a microwave transparent support material, such as paperboard.

Abstract: A disposable microwave browning and crisping package having a flat substrate and a microwave reactive layer affixed over one surface of said substrate, the microwave interactive layer, when subjected to microwave energy, converting microwave energy to heat in an amount sufficient to brown and crisp food in heat transfer relationship has at least one aperture to allow gases and vapors generated from cooking foods such as large pie crusts to traverse said laminate thereby allowing the food product to remain in close proximity to the reactive heater resulting in improved browning and crisping.

Abstract: A patterned microwave interactive element and laminate including a patterned microwave interactive element for use in forming food packaging materials that may be employed to store and subsequently cook the food stored therein are provided. The pattern of the microwave interactive element is selected to focus the heat generated to predetermined areas of the food contained in the packaging. Areas where the microwave interactive element has been deactivated may be formed by a variety of methods, such as by demetallization, by the application of an inactivating chemical, by mechanical means and the like, to create a preselected pattern of inactive areas relative to the active areas, thereby controlling the temperatures produced in different sections of the packaging material. Optimum browning and/or crisping of the microwave heated food product may be achieved by selecting a pattern of microwave interactive and inactive areas tailored to specific food products.

Abstract: A container (2) for heating popcorn or other types of particulate food items in a microwave oven formed from a single blank having a bottom panel (4) coated with a microwave interactive material (26) adding heat to particulate food items such as popcorn kernels and configured so that each particulate food item placed into the container (2) for heating is spaced, on average, no more than the average diameter of one such food item away from the microwave interactive layer. The container is formed for shipping in a triangular wedge shape and for expansion to a trapezoidal box shape for use within a microwave oven for heating of the particulate food items.

Abstract: A microwave browning and crisping sleeve as well as a package assembly and method of microwave heating of food using the sleeve, wherein a paperboard strip has a microwave interactive layer affixed over one surface of the paperoard strip, the paperboard strip being subdivided by fold lines into at least five panel portions, wherein opposite ends of the paperboard strip are connected end-to-end in a manner creating a paperborad sleeve having the surface to which the interactive layer is fixed as its inner peripheral surface, and wherein the fold lines are disposed at positions which enable the sleeve to be erected and collapsed between a first configuration wherein the sleeve is flattened for shipping and storage, and a second configuration wherein the inner peripheral surface defines an open ended space for receiving a food product with top, bottom and side surfaces of the food product being in heat transfer relationship with respect to the microwave interactive layer.

Abstract: A container (2) for heating popcorn or other types of particulate food items in a microwave oven formed from a single blank having a bottom panel (4) coated with a microwave interactive material (26) adding heat to particulate food items such as popcorn kernels and configured so that each particulate food item placed into the container (2) for heating is spaced, on average, no more than the average diameter of one such food item away from the microwave interactive layer. The container is formed for shipping in a triangular wedge shape and for expansion to a trapezoidal box shape for use within a microwave oven for heating of the particulate food items.

Abstract: A container (2) for heating popcorn or other types of particulate food items in a microwave oven formed from a single blank having a bottom panel (4) coated with a microwave interactive material (26) adding heat to particulate food items such as popcorn kernels and configured so that each particulate food item placed into the container (2) for heating is spaced, on average, no more than the average diameter of one such food item away from the microwave interactive layer. The container is formed for shipping in a triangular wedge shape and for expansion to a trapezoidal box shape for use within a microwave oven for heating of the particulate food items.

Abstract: A dispenser package for holding a stack of nested tapered disposable cups and dispensing them individually. The dispenser package has a generally circular opening in the top wall through which the bottoms of the tapered cups protrude; the opening is surrounded by a series of short radial slits or knife cuts defining a series of yieldable tabs around the periphery of the opening which permit the topmost protruding cup to be pulled through the opening, but which function to restrain the remaining cups in the stack. Additional slits or knife cuts in the top wall of the dispenser package extend from the opening in the top wall to each of the sidewalls at a point near each sidewall to permit loading a stack of cups through the top opening of the dispenser package without tearing of the top wall.

Abstract: A dispensing package for diabetic test care strips of paper includes a paperboard pouch containing a test strip unit. The pouch has a reclosable flap affording access to the contained test strip unit, the latter comprising a paperboard backing panel having a tab on one end accessible at the opening of the pouch. Attached to the other end of the panel is the edge portion of a stack of test strip material having parallel cuts extending from the free edge of the stack toward the attached edge, and which cuts define test strips adapted to be torn from the unit after it is removed partially or entirely from the pouch.

Abstract: A carton blank, and a display carton erected therefrom, are adapted for securely holding a tube in a specially-designed cradle means made from a unitary panel of the carton. The unitary panel has a first cut line extending generally along the width dimension at the top end. A second cut line extends from the first cut line along the length of the cradle means, terminating at a point short of the bottom end. Third and fourth cut lines are spaced outwardly on opposite sides of the second cut line and extend along the length of the cradle. Score lines extend in angular relationship from the third and fourth cut lines toward the bottom end of the cradle means. A tab on the bottom end of the cradle means is adapted for engaging a chime on the tube cap and preventing the tube from inadvertent displacement from the carton.

Abstract: A folder for containing a strip of blister package units for pharmaceutical capsules includes a generally flattened sleeve of paperboard having side wall panels and a planar panel folded inwardly from an edge of the sleeve material. The panel is generally coplanar with one side wall panel of the sleeve, and includes a window, wherein a strip of severable blister package units may be inserted within the sleeve so that the blister portion of at least one of the units projects through the window, whereby the strip is retained within the sleeve.

Abstract: A carton has side and bottom walls of generally rectangular configuration, a pair of dust flaps hinged for closure on opposed side walls, and a pair of closure flaps hinged on opposed walls perpendicular to the first, for closure over the dust flaps. The dust flaps are constructed and arranged to be hinged inwardly of the carton and include cut-out sections that receive neck portions of a dispensing bottle and a rotationally locked dispensing nozzle thereon to hold the nozzle in place and to hold the bottle stationary as against movement about its base which is itself engaged, and held from shifting, by the carton side walls.

Abstract: In a multiple compartment carton, one compartment has a line of weakness for opening the compartment. Protective means overlies the line of weakness, to prevent inadvertent breakage of the line of weakness.

Abstract: A carton is disclosed having a paperboard receptacle and a cover fitting over the same; the cover being adapted to shield the top and sides of food material within the receptacle from microwave radiation, but allowing radiation to be admitted through the unshielded bottom of the receptacle. A surface of the cover is formed of a conducting metal which substantially inhibits the passage of microwave radiation therethrough. The depending cover wall which surrounds the side edges of the receptacle is constructed such that adjacent portions of the panels forming the cover wall are provided with a low impedance electrical connection at microwave frequencies to inhibit arcing between such panels during heating.

Abstract: A display carton (10) is disclosed having two compartments (12, 14) which are movable between a carrying and a display configuration. A display panel (28, 30) with a display window opening (22, 24) therein is provided on each of the compartments (12, 14) such that the display panels (28, 30) are exposed for viewing when the carton (10) is in its display configuration, but not when it is in its carrying configuration.

Abstract: A patterned microwave interactive element and laminate including a patterned microwave interactive element for use in forming food packaging materials that may be employed to store and subsequently cook the food stored therein are provided. The pattern of the microwave interactive element is selected to focus the heat generated to predetermined areas of the food contained in the packaging. Areas where the microwave interactive element has been deactivated may be formed by a variety of methods, such as by demetallization, by the application of an inactivating chemical, by mechanical means and the like, to create a preselected pattern of inactive areas relative to the active areas, thereby controlling the temperatures produced in different sections of the packaging material. Optimum browning and/or crisping of the microwave heated food product may be achieved by selecting a pattern of microwave interactive and inactive areas tailored to specific food products.